


Felipe Becomes Family

by Rebound



Category: Zorro (TV 1990)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-06
Updated: 2015-05-06
Packaged: 2018-03-29 08:25:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3889363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rebound/pseuds/Rebound
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>So when I was, like, 13 years old I totally loved this show. Then I found the DVD set of it like 3-4 years ago and had to watch it again. Did it hold up well? You milage may vary! But I still enjoyed it. I always liked Felipe, so I wrote a few little things I thought might have made the season finale a little more Felipe-heavy. That turned into wondering what happened after the series ended and some other stuff.</p>
<p>So basically this is a bunch of little vignettes that I tried to string together into a moderately cohesive story - hence the random time frames between parts of it. There’s a part where the last few episodes of the series happen (the whole part with the Emissary, etc.) but the rest is all kind of slap dash. I also apparently started this like 4 years ago, so I suppose you get what you get. It’s just sitting here on my computer, so I supposed that I might as well share it! You can thank my 13 year old self 21 years ago for the inspiration for this bit of nonsense. No beta, so I apologize for all typos and mistakes.</p>
<p>Enjoy!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Hands, part 1

As far as the usual class of bandits that attempted to outwit Zorro and earn the reward on his head, Diego had to admit that these ones were somewhat more clever. They had realize that the masked bandit had some sort of connection to the innkeeper and had decided their best course of action was to kidnap her. He didn’t know if they also determined some connection to Don Diego that led them to also kidnap Felipe, who was volunteering his time to help the senorita with a few errands and was therefore driving the cart, or if it was just bad luck. 

Diego had very little time to consider his options. He had stumbled upon the abandoned cart with its broken axle and over heard enough of the discussion between the bandits to realize that he didn’t have time to get home, change into Zorro, and then deal with them. No - better to approach this as Don Diego. To approach the bandits as Zorro would surely spell death for Felipe and Victoria. He believed that if he approached as a Don, then they would take him to where they were keeping the other two and once there he was certain that he would be able to devise a plan of escape.

So far his plan had gone well, he supposed. He was sitting on his horse with his hands tied behind him and a blindfold over his eyes, but deduction and intuition told him where he was headed. He knew he was being led toward an abandoned homestead and he knew which one - this was an area he knew quite well. Now he just had to figure out what to do when they got there. He allowed himself to be manhandled off his horse and into a building. The blindfold was removed roughly and he was quickly pushed through a door that was slammed behind him. 

As the door to the dark and musty room opened, Felipe and Victoria sprang to their feet. In an instant, Felipe had stepped in front of Victoria in what was surely an ineffective yet determined effort to protect her. When Diego’s face appeared in the door, Felipe stepped toward him at the same time as the bandits shoved him forward. Felipe reached forward and steadied him as he stumbled over the uneven dirt floor, unable to keep his balance with his hands bound.

Felipe couldn’t keep himself from embracing Diego for a moment as Victoria moved quickly behind him to untie his hands.

“Oh, Diego - they took you as well? How terrible!”

They all drew apart and Diego looked both of them over. Victoria appeared unharmed. Felipe’s lip was split on one side and a bruise was forming on his opposite cheek. Diego reached out and gently touched his face. Felipe shrugged him off.

 _I’m alright._ He signed.

Victoria frowned. “They hit him, Diego, when he was trying to protect me. He was very brave.”

“Of course he was.” He said softly. Felipe blushed, barely noticeable through his already reddened cheeks.

“What is it that they want?” Diego asked Victoria.

“Zorro.” She said simply. “They think that he will come for us, or that we know who he is.”

Felipe’s hands flew through the space between him and Diego. Victoria couldn’t understand him at all, but Diego understood everything.

_They are tired of waiting - they are planning on interrogating us soon._

Diego didn’t like the sound of that. Not at all. Felipe continued.

_One of the bandits said that he wouldn’t hit a woman, and the other one said that it wasn’t worth the risk to abuse a Don. They argued about what to do. The one in charge is willing to hurt Victoria, but he agreed to start with me. I heard them say it. But luckily they do not know that I can not speak._

“Luckily, Felipe? How is that a good thing?”

_Because they will try to make me tell them who Zorro is -- but I will not be able to._

“Absolutely not! I will not let you do that.”

_I don’t think that you have a choice. They will take me and that will give you time to get us out. You will find a way to save us._

Diego was silent. Felipe signed his last few words again.

_You will save us._

Victoria looked back and forth between Felipe and Diego. It was as if she wasn’t even there, and she finally broke into the one sided conversation. 

“What is it, Don Diego? What did Felipe see them say? They were whispering but Felipe could see them talking.”

Diego couldn’t answer her right away. It was all too much. He was perfectly willing to accept the consequences of his actions -- he had the scars, cracked ribs, and yellowing bruises to prove it. But for Felipe -- who he treated more like a son than a servant -- to ask this of him... To ask him to step aside and let those men take Felipe away and try to beat the identity of Zorro out of him... It was too much.

Finally Diego looked up from his clenched fists and met Victoria’s eyes. “Felipe has just informed me that these bandits are disinclined to hit either women or Dons - or rather that they won’t *begin* by beating women or Dons. They also haven’t yet realized that Felipe can not speak. He believe that is is good news because it means that they will try to beat the information out of him first.” Diego’s voice was bitter and cold. Victoria was horrified. She turned to face Felipe.

“No Felipe. You can’t do this!”

Felipe signed slowly and deliberately. He wanted to make sure that Victoria understood him. She repeated his words aloud as he signed.

“There is no choice. Diego will find our escape. I will be fine. He will have time. I will be fine. Zorro will be safe.”

Victoria’s voice trailed off and Felipe turned away from her.

Felipe had spent years playing deaf. He was very good at it, even managing not to flinch when a bandito tried to test his deafness by firing a gun off right by his ear. When he had regained his hearing and decided not to tell Don Alejandro he had tried hard to act no differently than he had in the past when he was truly deaf. He made sure not to be the first person to react to a sound -- he waited until someone in his line of sight turned toward something, and only then did he turn as well. He tried very hard to remember what had been said to him directly and he could lip read and not make reference to too much that had been said when he couldn’t have seen the speaker. Even when he thought that no one was around who could see him he remembered not to react to sounds. It was too risky not to assume that someone somewhere might be watching him.

But now he had to change all that, and he needed a few minutes to think. He signed to Diego, _I need to sit and think a moment_. And he sat on the hard bench and dropped his head. I need to face them when they speak, I need to react to sounds that they make behind my back. I need them to think that I am silent because I refuse to talk to them, not because I can not speak. He generally avoided making noise, although he was perfectly capable of grunting and making some sounds. He usually tried to avoid it, though. He thought that making sounds that weren’t words made him seem dumb, in addition to mute. But in this case he thought it would be a good idea to make the kinds of sounds that speaking people did without thinking.

He tried to make the noise in the back of his throat that people made when they were saying no to something or disagreeing. He tried it a few times. “Mm mmh.” It sounded alright to him. Then he tried the sound when someone was agreeing. “Mm hum.” Not bad. He looked up at Diego, who was staring at him with a dazed look on his face.

_How did that sound?_

“Excellent, Felipe. Excellent.”

_I think I should make noise. Talking people don’t realize how much noise they make when they think they are being silent._

“Yes. Of course.” He tried to reason with the boy. “There must be another way. We’ll rush them when they open the door...” Felipe was already shaking his head firmly.

_No. They will overpower us. They will hurt Victoria. You will find a way out while they are distracted with me. I know you will._

Suddenly they heard the lock on the door being opened. Felipe stood up and turned toward the door and then turned back toward Diego. The brave mask slipped a moment, but then returned. He looked perfect - like a belligerent teenager who would rather take a beating than tell the banditos anything. Quickly Felipe darted toward Diego and hugged him fiercely for a half of a half of a second and was back standing in front of the door when it swung open. In an instant he was gone - grabbed by the grimy men and ripped out of the room as the door slammed behind him quickly. Felipe had been right. Rushing the men at that moment would have been stupid and dangerous. Something Diego would gladly have tried it he had been the only captive, but with Felipe and Victoria there it would have been foolish.

But the instant the door had shut he sprang into action. He ran his eyes, and then his hands, over every inch of the interior of the room. Nothing immediately presented itself as a means of escape. He surveyed the room to see what sort of tools he could make. There was nothing but the bench. He turned toward Victoria, who stood frozen near the back wall.

“What do you have on your person that might help? That I might be able to use?”

The question seemed to shock Victoria out of her dazed state. She began to pat her hair and her dress and feel in her pockets.

“I have a few hairpins, my sash, a copper bracelet. Nothing of value...”

Victoria moved to the door and pressed her ear against it. “I hear nothing.” Suddenly they both heard something that chilled them to the bone.

A hoarse scream rang out, torn from an unused throat. Diego froze. He needed to focus and as much as he hated it, that meant that he had to put Felipe’s cries out of his thoughts. He could do no one any good if he couldn’t find a way out of their small prison.

In addition to what was in Victoria’s possession and on his person, there was very little in the room. A bucket of water and a ragged wooden cup as well as a bench precariously attached to the wall seemed to be the only additions to the room. Diego quickly inspected the door. Through a crack in the side he could tell there was a latch but not a lock on the outside upper third of the door. His heart lifted a tiny bit - if he could get to that latch he could get the door open.

There was a small barred window toward the top of the door. The bars were placed too close together for Diego to reach through them, but he wondered if Victoria’s small arms would pass through.

“Victoria.”

But she was frozen, listening to the sounds that Diego had pushed from his thoughts.

“Victoria!” He spoke sharply, trying to shake her from her focus. She turned and looked at him with a pained expression on her face.

“What, Diego?”

“Come here and try to fit your arm between these bars.” 

Victoria rushed over, but the window was too high. Without a thought and as if she weighed nothing, Diego swiftly lifted her up. It was to no avail, though. No matter how she struggled and pushed, she could get no more than her hand and wrist through the gap.

Diego quickly set her down and went about examining the bars more closely. They were set in the wood securely. Too securely for him to break them out by hand, but maybe not too securely for him to break them out in some other fashion - if he could only figure out how to do it.

Suddenly he pushed past Victoria and began kicking savagely at the leg of the bench attached to the wall. The anger and emotion of the past few minutes was released in the strength with which he attempted to destroy the bench. Victoria stood back, frightened by the display from the usually passive Diego. She didn’t know what he was doing? Was he going mad? Was this part of his plan?

Finally Diego managed to break the leg of the bench free. He jumped forward and snatched it up.

“Victoria, your sash, please.” He spoke quickly, and Victoria frantically unwound the printed silk from around her waist, handing it to him with haste. She had never seen Diego like this, but she was relieved. Had she been sitting in that room alone while forced to hear poor Felipe scream she didn’t know how she would manage.

As if on cue, the sound of another ragged scream reached them.

Diego sprang into action. He submerged the silk in the bucket of water for a moment, then wrapped it around the center bars in the window. Using the leg of the bench for leverage, he twisted the sash tighter and tighter. The bars were too short and thick to bend, but they were set in the door using only framed wood. If he could put enough pressure on the bars, he predicted that they would splinter the framing and release one of the bars, allowing enough room for him to reach through the window.

He twisted the bench leg around again and again, straining as it tightened. He could feel the wood begin to give way, fiber by fiber, but the wet silk was strong enough to keep from tearing. Every turn was more and more difficult, but with each turn he could feel the tremors of the wood beginning to fail. 

Finally, with one last effort, the bottom end of one of the bars broke loose. Diego grabbed it and started wrenching it to and fro. It quickly came free, allowing Diego to reach through the window and unlatch the door.

Turning back toward Victoria, Diego gave her quick instructions.

“Victoria, I don’t want to anywhere near what is about to happen. I want you to go outside and get on your horse. Untie the rest of the horses as well. If anyone comes out of this wretched shack except me, I want you to scatter the horses and ride as fast as you can toward town. Do you understand?”

Victoria nodded silently. Diego took her hand and quickly led her out of the room and, turning away from where the men had taken Felipe, he ushered her out the back door and then swiftly turned and rushed back into the run down house.

Victoria followed Diego’s instructions, but she couldn’t keep herself from shaking as she sat on her horse. Every rustle of wind through the bushes or chirp of a bird made her jump and when, after what felt like an eternity, Diego again emerged from the door, her relief was so complete that she practically fainted. But there was no time for that.

“I need your help in here, Victoria.” was all that he said, then he turned and rushed back inside without hesitation. Diego would have liked to reassure Victoria, to assist her from her horse and tell her that everything would now be fine, but there was no time for that. He loved Victoria, yes, but Felipe needed him now.

Victoria entered the house as quickly as her shaky legs would allow her to and headed past their previous prison and into a larger open room. She looked around in utter amazement. What on earth had happened here?


	2. Hands, part 2

The aftermath of whatever vengeance Diego had wrought wasn’t pretty. His hands were bloodied and his fine white shirt was mostly untucked, partially torn, and covered in blood, none of which appeared to be his own. The three outlaws were scattered around the room in various uncomfortable positions -- completely unconscious. Felipe was crumpled in a heap in the center of the room, his wrists still bound. It was clear from the length of rope hanging from a ceiling beam that he had been suspended from there and then cut free and allowed to fall to the ground. Even from a distance Victoria could see that his hands were red and swollen and that his clothes were tattered and blood soaked. His face was practically unrecognizable. His nose was clearly broken and dried and fresh blood covered bruises that were already forming on his face. 

Victoria felt sick to her stomach at the sight, and felt even sicker when she remembered his screams. She had never heard Felipe utter a sound before in all the time she had known him. Even when he ran across the market square and burst into the tavern out of breath - even then his heaving breaths were silent. Felipe even walked quietly in his soft sandals. To remember that sound and that it came from this silent boy was devastating.

Diego knelt down by Felipe and gently cupped his face in his hand, feeling his pulse with his other hand. Felipe didn’t move, but Diego seemed satisfied with the strength of the pulse. He arranged Felipe’s limp body more comfortably on the ground and then sprang into action. He quickly began tying up the unconscious outlaws. Victoria couldn’t help but notice that he was not being gentle, nor was he choosing particularly comfortable positions to tie the men up in. She didn’t mind at all.

Diego suddenly spoke with perfect calm. “Victoria, I want you to ride immediately to the pueblo and get the doctor and have him meet us at my home. I will tie up these men and drive Felipe home in the cart outside. At some point -- feel free not to rush -- please tell Sergeant Mendoza that these men await his Lancers at this charming little hide-away. Tell him to take as long as he would like.”

While he spoke, Victoria took off her shawl and placed it gently over Felipe. She knelt beside him and delicately tried to remove the ropes from around his wrists. She swallowed uncomfortably at how difficult it was to get the ropes out of the swollen flesh. Suddenly tears filled her eyes and it became even more difficult to struggle with the ropes. She became frantic. She had to get the ropes off -- she had to get something back to normal. Suddenly she felt Diego’s hands close over hers as he drew her away from Felipe. He had finished tying up the banditos. 

“Go now, Victoria. I will care for Felipe.” She wished that she could do more but knew that there was nothing to be done until the boy was moved to the de la Vega hacienda. She knew Diego was correct, though. She had to ride now to fetch the doctor. She rushed out of the door, scrambled onto the nearest horse, and rode toward the pueblo as fast as she could.

Diego looked up as he heard the speed with which Victoria was racing away. He needed to get Felipe back to the house. With his strong fingers he deftly removed the ropes from Felipe’s wrists and then gently lifted him, covered with Victoria’s shawl, into his arms. It took only a few long strides to get to the wagon outside, and only a second more to arrange Felipe on a bed of straw in the back of the wagon. He paused as he looked down at the limp body of his most trusted confidant, his greatest helper, and the boy he considered like a son. He leaned down to embrace the boy and whispered into his ear, “You were very brave, my boy. Your plan worked. Victoria is safe and Zorro’s secret is safe, and soon we’ll get you safe as well.”

He climbed onto the drivers seat and looked back once more to check on Felipe. “Sleep now, son. You won’t feel very good when you wake up.” Even in Felipe’s unconscious state Diego wouldn’t let his negative thoughts be said aloud. Felipe was very severely injured and the swelling in his wrists and hands worried Diego most of all. The bruises and cracked ribs that Felipe surely had would heal in time. Diego had examined his face when he had touched it earlier. His nose was broken but could be straightened, and the bones in his face, although bruised, were not broken. There was risk of a punctured lung or something else unseen, of course, but Felipe’s breathing was clear and right then Diego worried most about Felipe’s hands and wrists. They were dangerously swollen and lacerated. His body weight had clearly been hung from the ceiling at one point, but if it was intentional, or if it had happened when Felipe had lost consciousness Diego had no way of knowing.

The drive to the hacienda seemed to take forever, and by the time Diego had arrived, he saw the horses of both Victoria and Dr. Hernandez tied up at the front gate. He said a quick prayer of thanks and pulled the horse to a halt in front of the gate in the adobe walls of the hacienda. His arrival had been heard and by the time he had climbed down from the wagon he was already surrounded by his father, Victoria, Dr. Hernandez, and a number of worried de la Vega employees. He brushed past them all and hastened to the back of the wagon where he proceeded to carefully lift Felipe once again into his arms. He was slightly the worse for wear after the trip on on the bumpy back of the wagon and Diego was anxious to get him inside and have Dr. Hernandez examine him. 

Diego immediately carried Felipe to his room while Dr. Hernandez followed closely behind him. The doctor had requested that Victoria and don Alejandro stay back. They both looked pale and the doctor was worried that they would be more of a hindrance than a help. “What happened to him, Diego?”

“He was severely beaten, Doctor. They tried to get information out of him about Zorro and they used myself and Seniorita Victoria as leverage. I’m worried about his hands - they have been severely abused by the way they tied him up.”

They were at the door to Felipe’s room and Diego stepped in and gently placed the boy onto the bed. With the doctor’s assistance, he removed the bloody and tattered clothes. “Let me clean him up while you examine him, Doctor. Maria should be bringing us warm water and rags.” As if on cue, there was a soft knock on the door. Diego rushed to take the basin of water and the stack of rags from the cook and shut the door quickly as she tried to peer inside the room with an expression of both concern and curiosity.

Dr. Hernandez examined the boy closely, leaving a very thorough investigation of the damage done to his hands to the end of his examination. While he was doing this, Diego carefully cleaned up Felipe’s battered body. He grimaced as he saw the bruises beginning to form. How he wished that he had been the one to sustain these injuries. He would rather suffer twice the pain than have to watch Felipe suffer this now.

“I don’t have to tell you, Don Diego, that he is significantly injured. He does not appear to have any broken bones aside from a cracked rib. His breathing is clear, however, so I do not suspect a punctured lung. I can feel no unusual swelling in his abdomen so I do not suspect any internal bleeding. His nose is broken, but I have straightened it. His face is bruised but not broken. I will wrap his ribs and tape his nose.” He paused. “It is his hands, Diego, that concern me. I worry that there might have been damage to the nerves that move his fingers and hands, but we won’t know for a while what the severity will be. I will bandage them, and after a week or so I will unwrap them and he will need to begin doing exercises to get the strength and dexterity back. He will need help with the exercises. I can show one of your servants how to help him.”

“No, Dr. Hernandez. Show me. I will do anything necessary for Felipe to get his hands back. I don’t have to tell you how important it is that he be able to use his hands.”

It was what he had been thinking since he had first seen Felipe and immediately seen the state of his hands. Saying it aloud had to be done, but it made his stomach turn to think about what Felipe’s life would be like if he lost the use of his hands. His gestures to the rest of the town were rather broad and simple, but in the privacy of the cave and when he was conversing with Diego alone, his signs were intricate and detailed. He had invented many signs for complicated topics that they spoke about. Signs for phrases used in literature and politics... Signs for abstract concepts in math and science... And when there was no sign for something specific that he wanted to say, he could spell a word out using one hand and a signing alphabet. It was when he found himself finger spelling a word enough that he got frustrated that he would invent a sign.

It was difficult for Felipe, Diego knew, to only truly talk to one man. He hated speaking so simply to the rest of the town, but none of them understood him. He knew that he was more educated than anyone else in the entire pueblo, but no one else did -- save perhaps for don Alejandro. But his inability to speak, and their perception of his inability to hear, meant that even those who didn’t think it overtly always inadvertently treated him as if he were somehow less than he was. Diego knew that it hurt Felipe to be treated that way, and he knew that it was in part his fault. There would have been no reason for Felipe to pretend that he could not hear if he weren’t acting as a constant spy for Zorro. Every time that he saw the nearly imperceptible droop of Felipe’s shoulders when someone treated him differently because of his deafness Diego felt a pang of guilt. He simply couldn’t bear it if Felipe’s only form of communication was taken from him. If he couldn’t sign, he certainly couldn’t write easily, and he would be suddenly made truly mute.

Dr. Hernandez expected Felipe to regain consciousness in the next 24 hours. His injuries were serious but not life threatening, and this restless slumber was merely a way of his body protecting itself as it dealt with the pain and shock of his initial injuries. Diego was determined to be there when he awoke. He was unwilling to leave for more than a moment lest Felipe awake and find himself alone. 

It was 16 hours after arriving back at the de la Vega Hacienda that Felipe woke up. He drifted back into consciousness and, not knowing exactly where he was or what was happening, he chose to keep his eyes shut. The first thing he noticed was the pain that coursed through his body. Although he usually went to great pains to avoid making any sounds, he was unable to keep a quiet groan from escaping his lips. Every fiber of his being hurt and there was a dull pain in his side when he inhaled. Yet with all of this he could feel that he was in a comfortable bed and his head --though throbbing -- was propped up on a soft pillow. Suddenly recent events rushed back to his memory and his eyes flew open. He tried not to panic, as by then he had realized that surely Diego had rescued them and he must be back in his bed at the hacienda. It was hard not to react, though, when every fiber of his body tensed and caused his battered muscles to scream.

His eyes opened and immediately saw Diego standing over him. Diego had heard the soft groan from Felipe and guessed that he would soon be waking up.

“Felipe, you are safe. You are home. You are safe.”

Felipe smiled in relief and exhaled deeply. He lifted his hands to sign something but was shocked to see the thick bandages. All the panic that he had held in upon regaining consciousness was building again. He frantically brought his hands to his chest. He stared at his hands and then back at Diego. The panic in his eyes was frightening Diego. Diego put his hands on Felipe’s upper arms and pressed him very gently back into the bed in an attempt to keep him from injuring himself further.

“Be easy, Felipe. Be easy. It will be alright. Your hands are bandaged, but the bandages will be removed in a week.” He decided that this was not the time to tell Felipe about the possibility that there would be permanent damage to his hands. He would face that conversation later. 

He could see some of the panic leave Felipe’s eyes. His breathing slowly returned to normal and his body relaxed. Felipe believed Diego, as he always did. Diego felt slightly guilty for abusing that trust in this moment, but it would do no good to panic the boy now.

“Here, Felipe, drink this.” Diego helped him sit up enough to drink a bitter liquid. Felipe scrunched up his nose at the flavor. Diego chuckled. “Don’t complain -- it’ll do you good.” He said with a smile. “Are you hungry?” Felipe nodded and out of habit he brought his hands up to sign his thanks. When his bandaged hands came into view again, though, he sighed and slumped down in the bed. He shrugged at Diego who knew him well enough to understand what he meant, even without signing. “I know, Felipe, I know. Just give it some time.” 

As the days passed, Diego was impressed with Felipe. He was the only one who really knew how difficult this must be for him. He could feel the stress and anger in Felipe’s body every time he was unable to communicate. He had managed to get Diego to understand that he wanted a pencil and piece of paper. With Diego’s help he had tucked the pencil into a fold in the bandages and he could write a few awkward words when he found it necessary. It wasn’t ideal, but at least it allowed Felipe to communicate until his bandages came off. Or at least that was what Felipe thought. Diego was still worried, but he hadn’t quite found a way to tell Felipe that Dr. Hernandez wasn’t sure he would get full movement back in his hands. He knew that he was a coward and was avoiding the issue, but he just couldn’t bear to ruin this time.

Diego had changed the bandages twice while Felipe was in a deep sleep brought on by the strong pain killers that Diego had been giving him. Both times Diego had fussed over his hands but without Felipe being awake, he couldn’t tell how much mobility was in Felipe’s fingers. His hands still looked uncomfortably swollen and red. Diego was worried.

Felipe was in terrible pain most of the time, but his recovery was remarkable. He forced himself up out of bed and into a chair after only two days. After four days he was walking for a few minutes at a time. By day six he was restless and picking at the bandages himself. Diego repeatedly admonished him to stop tearing at the ends of the bandage with his teeth. His bruises were at their most disgusting shade and new ones were still forming as his deeper injuries made their way to the surface. Felipe was proud of himself, though. Diego could tell. Diego was proud of him, as well.

This last week had shown Diego a great deal about Felipe. He still often felt like Felipe was a boy to be protected, but he now realized that he was growing into a man - a man who, due to Zorro’s requirements, was forced into showing less of himself than he was. He was forced to play a deaf mute. He was forced to always blend into the background and never show himself to be exceptional in any way. He was forced to keep a blank face when people talked behind his back about his poor condition and how lucky he was to be the recipient of the de la Vega’s charity -- never knowing that he gave back so much more than he ever took in what they would call “charity.”

But Diego knew differently. He knew that Felipe was an exceptional boy - no, a young man. He was highly educated and an excellent writer and critical thinker. He was accomplished at math and science although chemistry never gave him much joy. He beat Diego at chess at least half the time and perhaps more. His tracking skills were impressive and he was rapidly becoming an excellent swordsman. Diego thought he was more capable than any five Lancers at one time, and in a fair fight he believed that he could beat the Alcalde. Of course, that would never be a fair fight, but that was beside the point.

But no one could know any of this. Don Alejandro knew Felipe was clever, and he knew that he could win at chess, but even he didn’t know the extent of his education, and he certainly didn’t know about the swordsmanship. Felipe lived in a world with two sides. In the cave he was a proud and capable young man with many skills, opinions, and thoughts. Outside the cave, however, and especially in the town, he was a shy and quiet boy who seemed to always melt into the background and could drift off without anyone noticing. He was the de la Vega’s deaf and mute house servant, an orphan who Diego had picked up on his travels and who they treated like a favorite pet. He rarely looked anyone outside his immediate circle of family in the eye, preferring to keep his head bent down and look up at people from a lowered position. He had learned quickly that by acting in this way, he could go almost anywhere in the pueblo without being noticed. No one knew that Zorro depended on him more than on any other man.

And now with the inability to sign or write clearly, he was frustrated and growing more so by the hour. He hadn’t felt this way in years -- not since Diego had showed him that he could speak with his hands. He was frantic to get the bandages off his hands and didn’t want to wait any longer for Dr. Hernandez. As far as Felipe was aware, the doctor was just planning on unwrapping them and Felipe didn’t understand why Diego was so adamant that Felipe not take matters into his own hands, so to speak.

But Felipe was tired of waiting and didn’t much care what Diego was telling him right then, especially since Felipe knew that Diego had changed the bandages while he slept. So with the determination of a frustrated teenaged boy, he worked one edge free with his teeth and swiftly unwrapped his right hand. He immediately realized that something was terribly wrong. His hand was curled into an ugly claw and seemed frozen. He tried to make a fist and couldn’t. With panic rising in his chest, he tried to wiggle his fingers and was unable. In a frenzy he ripped off the second bandage using his teeth and his useless hook of a right hand. His left hand was just as bad as his right. Was this why Diego only changed his bandages while he slept? Was this why he insisted on waiting for Dr. Hernandez? Did Diego know this? Was he keeping this from him?

Suddenly it all became too much. He made a frantic dash for the cave. He needed to get out of his room. 

It was less than an hour later that Diego went looking for Felipe. The doctor was delayed and Diego was planning on telling Felipe that he would have to wait another day to get his bandages taken off. When he got to his room, though, Felipe was not there. Diego turned on his heel to leave the room and look for Felipe elsewhere when suddenly he noticed something that made his heart sink. He saw Felipe’s bandages on the floor of the room and knew what must have happened. How he wished he could have been there when the bandages had come off. How he wished he could have helped Felipe through the realization that his hands were still virtually useless. 

But Diego could guess where Felipe might have gone and he rushed there to do what he could for his young friend - his son in all but name.

When he stepped into the cave, however, he suddenly came to a stop. In front of him was a scene of destruction. Books were pushed from the case and dozens of glass tubes and beakers were smashed on the floor. The coat rack on which Felipe hung Zorro’s clean outfit was tipped onto the floor and a bench was flipped over. Diego could image the silent rage that had led Felipe to do this. Diego hadn’t though he could feel worse about the situation, but this proved that he could. 

The one thing that Diego couldn’t see in this mess was Felipe himself. Years ago - long before Zorro - a young Felipe could often be found sleeping in a pile of clean hay in the stalls of the horses in the barn. Diego expected that Felipe might be in Toronado’s stall and as he turned the corner in the cave he saw that he was correct. Felipe sat in the corner of Toronado’s stall in the fresh hay with his head bowed low over his bent knees. The horse was resting his head above Felipe’s outstretched hands and blowing hot breaths into them. He knew that Felipe could hear him, but he was refusing to react. He was playing deaf, just as he did so frequently in town. Diego appreciated the irony of the situation.

“Please believe me, Felipe, when I say that I didn’t know. Dr. Hernandez was unsure what the state of your hands would be when the bandages would be removed. He has given me exercises to do with you to get the movement back in your hands.”

Felipe didn’t respond, but Diego knew he had heard him.

“May I see?”

He waited silently. He hoped that Felipe would come and share his pain with him. It was long minutes - Diego didn’t know how many - before he heard the rustling of hay and saw Felipe approach him. He was hiding his hands behind his back and looked ashamed.

“May I see?” Diego repeated.

Felipe stretched his hands out in front of him, showing them to Diego. The swelling had decreased, and the lacerations on his wrists had mostly healed, but they seemed frozen into awkward claws. Diego reached out to take Felipe’s hand but Felipe snatched them back and once again hid them behind his back.

“Come, Felipe, let me see if I can help.” Felipe slowly brought his hands out in front of him again. Diego took his hands and drew him over to the bench that he had just recently set right side up. Felipe glanced around at the mess he had made in the cave and looked back to Diego with an apology on his face. “No matter, my boy. Nothing I can’t sweep up later today.”

He focused on Felipe’s hands again. “Now, relax your hands and let me manipulate your fingers. We have to see how severe the damage is.” He took each finger in turn bending it at each joint and then finally rotating the wrist. “The range of motion is intact, we just have to strengthen up your hands again. The ropes damaged the nerves in your wrists and the bandaging should have given them enough time to heal. Now we just need to exercise them a bit!”

Felipe looked at him and Diego was able to read the question on his face. “I don’t know, Felipe, I don’t know for sure how much damage was done we won’t know anything for certain until we make an effort to strengthen your hands again.”

The mobility in Felipe’s hand’s had come back slowly, but it had come back completely. Victoria, in her sweet but determined way, had insisted on visiting the hacienda frequently and once she realized what Diego was doing with him to get his hands working again, she had insisted on helping Felipe with his exercises. She felt responsible for the boy, considering that he was in her cart when they were taken and that it was in protecting her that he found himself injured. Felipe didn’t argue - it was nice to see the beautiful senorita and have her dote over him, and she seemed interested in learning how to understand him better, a desire that Felipe was happy to fulfill.

Diego had no complaints over the arrangement. Any time spent near Victoria was appreciated by him, and he had a sneaking suspicion that Felipe was doing his best to get the together while she was over. He insisted that Diego’s translation services were required while he was teaching Victoria more signs and Diego didn’t argue.

It was into this pleasant time that the Emissary Gilberto Risendo intruded.


	3. Fight

(Takes place during/after the introduction of the Emissary.)

Felipe quickly checked behind him before he pressed the lever to open the secret passageway and ran into the cave. Once inside, he sighed silently with relief. He wished he could stay in there and not go back out to deal with Risendo and his friend. They were terrible men and they hated Felipe and treated him like a dog who happened to be getting in their way. He had been struck by both of them - once by Risendo when Felipe hadn’t brought him the wine that he had requested. Felipe had heard him, of course, but couldn’t indicate it, and when Risendo grabbed his arm to turn him around and wave his empty glass in his face, Felipe had been unable to keep the look of contempt off his face. Risendo had hauled back and struck Felipe across his face with an open hand, leaving his cheek stinging and flushed. It was later that same day that Felipe had managed to anger Lieutenant Hidalgo while trying to polish his boots for him. That man preferred a backhand approach which left Felipe with another angry mark across his other cheek, this one crowned with an angry cut left from the stone in his gold ring. 

Felipe knew that he needed to get control of himself. His only hope was to keep in their good graces - or at least behave tolerably - so that he might have a chance to overhear more of their plans for the pueblo and for the de la Vegas. So he came to the cave to take a moment and get his temper in check. 

While he stood, he felt a hand on his shoulder. With a silent gasp he turned to see Diego standing there. His hand immediately went to his face to cover the cut that had began to scab over. He had wished that Diego wouldn’t see the cut on his cheek and the bruise. He knew that it would infuriate Diego and he didn’t want to make him feel any worse for having to leave Felipe behind. Risendo had been quite adamant that the de la Vega’s be separated from their servants, and he had no reason to believe that Felipe was anything more than a house boy. Diego was preparing to argue with Risendo when Felipe discreetly signed to him quickly. 

_Leave me. I can listen to them for you. Leave me here._

Diego wasn’t happy with the plan, but he realized the benefits. In any case, it could do no good for Risendo and Hidalgo to realize just how important Felipe was to the de la Vegas. Usually Diego only had to worry about those close to Zorro finding themselves in danger, but now with Risendo and his unnatural hatred of the de la Vegas, he realized that all of his friends were in danger of being used against him. 

Even then as he stood in the cave and looked upon Felipe’s face he realized how much worse it could be. He sighed and pulled Felipe against his chest in a strong hug. “It’s good to see you, Amigo.”

***(Zorro gets ambushed in the canyon, Risendo forces Alejandro to fight him, and Felipe gets caught loading a pistol and gets himself tied up.)***

It took Felipe a few tense minutes to work his hands free. He had found himself tied up frequently enough that he had developed a way to hold his hands and flex his wrists that gave him a few precious inches of slack. It still took a few minutes to escape, but he could usually eventually get loose. It gave him a few minutes to stew over the fact that even in his victory over Felipe he felt the need to mock his muteness behind his back. 

The moment he was free he ran to the courtyard garden where he saw Risendo and don Alejandro dueling. Felipe could judge the skill of Risendo. He was good, but not better than Zorro. He was probably better than the Alcaldes, Ramone and de Soto, but that wasn’t necessarily saying much. Alejandro would have easily beat him in his younger days, but he was no match against the younger man. As the fight deteriorated, Felipe debated what he should do. He thought that he could hold Risendo off. He might not be able to beat him, but he thought he could play defense for a while. Certainly longer than don Alejandro could. Perhaps long enough for Zorro to return and finish him off. But that would certainly be suspicious in don Alejandro’s eyes. However, a gun at close range was too dangerous. He would be just as likely to harm his beloved Alejandro as he would be to stop Risendo.

His decision was made. He would deal with the consequences later. Perhaps he could say that he had been learning fencing from books, or that he had gotten Zorro to teach him. It didn’t matter right then. Alejandro was fading quickly and Felipe had to take action.

He ran out into the garden and grabbed a sword from behind the bushes where he had earlier hid them after sparring with Diego. Much to the shock of both men, Felipe stepped next to don Alejandro and raised his sword in front of his eyes, inviting Risendo to fight him. The two men pulled apart and paused. Risendo smiled cruelly. 

“So the useless pup wants to fight for his master? Then he shall die with him!” With that, he knocked the sword out of Alejandro’s shocked hand and turned on Felipe. He could hear Alejandro’s pleas behind him as the old man backed up toward the hacienda but he ignored them. He needed to concentrate. He needed to buy them all some time. Time for Zorro to come. Time for Diego to come.

Risendo was clearly toying with Felipe with his first few swings, but the cruel smile fell from his face in a few moments when he realized that this ridiculous deaf mute servant actually appeared to know what her was doing with a sword.

Felipe’s only goal was to defend himself. He just wanted to keep the man with the mad eyes busy. He didn’t want to go on the offensive. Diego had taught him that you were most vulnerable when you were on the offensive. And Felipe was doing marvelously. This was the first time he had fought anyone other than Diego and although he was certainly frightened at first, he quickly fell into a comfortable rhythm that kept Risendo’s sword far from his body. Felipe’s calm, and probably his silence as well, seemed to be angering the older man. 

“Stupid boy! You may have learned a few tricks with your master’s sword, but you are fighting a battle that you will not win. Give it up! The de la Vega’s quickly turn on their own, and if you think that they would have any loyalty to a useless servant who isn’t even smart enough to speak you’re even more idiotic than you look - gaping there like a fish on a riverbank.”

Felipe smiled at those words, which infuriated Risendo even more. He continued to deftly parry the increasingly angry slashes and thrusts from Risendo’s sword. What Risendo didn’t realize that Felipe had spent practically his entire life listening to people underestimate him. Usually he had to take it in silence, but this time he was quite literally able to fight back.

“I don’t care how many people I have to kill to get to the de la Vega’s, you fool boy! Put down your sword now and you won’t have to be one of them!” Felipe kept smiling. He could sense that it was making Risendo even angrier. The fact that Felipe never attacked was also unnerving him. Felipe had quickly realized that Risendo had only about five different attacks, and they varied only slightly each time he tried them. After only a few minutes Felipe could see the attacks coming and he felt like he had ages to prepare to defend against them. Felipe was starting to realize how Zorro could, with such apparent effortlessness, hold back a half a dozen Lancers at a time.

Even though he was comfortable with the pace of the fight with Risendo he was still simply biding his time and he anxiously awaited Diego’s return. He began to worry that he might not be coming, and with that thought Felipe began to fear that he would have to change his tactics. “Stop this infernal parrying, you little fool, and fight me!”

Suddenly and with great relief he heard a voice behind him. 

“I don’t think you’ll get him to change his tactics that easily, Emissary. He seems to be quite determined, and doing quite well, actually.”

It was the intonation of Zorro’s voice but as Felipe turned his body slightly he could see out of the corner of his eye that Diego was wearing the clothes of a caballero, not those of Zorro the Fox. Felipe had a sneaking suspicion that many things would change after this day. Alejandro was watching him fight with his mouth agape, and Felipe didn’t see how Diego would be able to conceal his fencing ability from his father any longer. And once that secret was out it would be a short trip to the realization that his son Diego had been lying to him for years.

But they couldn’t worry about that now. Diego had quickly stepped into the situation and Risendo and Felipe had stilled their swords. “How do I know the boy won’t stab me in the back?”

“I assure you, he won’t. This is between the two of us now.” Diego glanced at Felipe and nodded and Felipe threw his sword into the bushes and quickly moved to join Alejandro in the doorway.

ZZZ

The fight was finally over, Risendo had been shot by the Alcalde, and the courtyard was again empty save for Deigo, Alejandro, and Felipe.

Diego turned, wincing, and headed back into the house with Felipe and Alejandro following in silence. Felipe gestured to Diego's arm and asked him if he should make a poultice and rebind the wound.

"Of course, Felipe, but perhaps I should speak to my father first." He paused. "On second thought, I suppose we should all do this together, and there is only one place that seems to make sense." With a glance Felipe understood and he walked over to the fireplace. Alejandro, with a look of confusion, followed him and Diego brought up the rear. Felipe pressed the lever that swung open the hidden panel and stood back as Diego walked through the passage into the tunnel and Alejandro followed him, still speechless and with a dazed look on his face.

As the three of them stepped into the main area of the cave Diego finally spoke again. "Father, I have something to tell you."

Felipe started gathering the supplies he would need to treat Diego's freshly opened wound as the two de la Vega men sat down across from each other.

"As you probably have realized by now, Father, I am Zorro. I never wanted to hide this from you. Initially I never thought that it would continue this long, and then eventually I realized that if you knew the truth that you would be in danger."

Felipe indicated to Diego that he should remove his shirt so that he could get to his gunshot wound. Diego complied and Felipe began cleaning the wound before poulticing it and applying a bandage.

Alejandro was looking at his son in a whole new light. He hadn't seen Diego bare chested since he was a boy - long before he went to Madrid to study. When dressed as a caballero, Diego looked tall and skinny, but now without his shirt on Alejandro could see that he wasn't scrawny at all - he was a lean whip of muscle that had been carefully camouflaged under impeccable tailoring. How could he have been so blind?

"How could I not have seen this, Diego? How could you hide this so well from me? I should have known..."

"I took great pains to keep you from ever guessing the truth, Father. And I will admit that I had to swallow my pride quite a lot to accomplish it."

Alejandro nodded, remembering all the times Diego had seemed to get sick, to get lost, to avoid conflict and confrontation. He realized now that he was avoiding the situations as Diego so he could return as el Zorro. He gaze fell on Felipe, who was skillfully tending to his son's wound.

"And Felipe? What's his role in all of this?"

"He's been with me from the start. It was actually his discovery of a fox trapped in this cave that gave me the idea in the first place. Since the very beginning, Felipe has been my eyes and ears in the pueblo. My treasured assistant. He has saved my life more times than I can count." Diego could see Felipe smile out of the corner of his eye.

But Alejandro was suddenly realizing what Diego had said.

"He's been your eyes...and ears?"

"Yes, Father. Felipe isn't deaf." The smile dropped from Felipe's face and he froze. He was still worried that don Alejandro would feel differently about him. He hadn't realized - but he should have - that when Zorro's secret came out, his would come out as well. He slowly turned toward Alejandro as Diego continued speaking.

"Felipe regained his hearing shortly before I returned from Madrid and hadn't yet told you. I'm afraid that I used that fact for my own purposes and encouraged him to keep it a secret so as to better spy for me. He has been invaluable and the subterfuge worked perfectly." He paused. "Too perfectly, perhaps. I'm sure you can imagine how hard it has been for Felipe to pretend to be something he is not."

"And you've been teaching him fencing, I see."

Diego nodded.

"Well, he's just found himself another sparring partner. I wish you could have seen more of him, Diego! He was brilliant against Risendo. Truly brilliant. He infuriated the man by doing nothing but defending his blows and allowing him to flail away madly. Although I suspect that if you hadn't shown up when you did he was about ready to try a change in tactics."

Felipe smiled shyly and nodded.

"I'm so proud of you, Felipe." Alejandro said. "To be so loyal and to keep such a secret for my son. You are truly like a member of the family."

As he finished that statement, Diego suddenly looked up. "Speaking of that, Father, I had something I wanted to tell you. Well, I suppose I should ask Felipe first." He looked at Felipe, who had a questioning look on his face. "I would like to adopt Felipe, Father. If he agrees, of course. I would like him to be my son." Diego's face was uncertain. He hadn't spoken with Felipe about this yet. He thought that he knew the boy well enough to know what his answer would be, but he was still unsure.

Felipe froze at Diego's words. He wanted him to be his son? To be a de la Vega? Impossible.

_Why? I am nothing - I don't even have a last name..._ His signs trailed off as Diego suddenly stood and embraced him.

"You aren't nothing, Felipe. Can't you see that? You are brave and you are smart and at heart you are a de la Vega. I want to give you that name officially. Legally."

Felipe pulled back and signed again. _But what will people think? I am just a servant!_

"Felipe, I've spent the last years pretending to be a weakling and a coward. Do you think I care what people think?"

_But your father..._ He looked toward Alejandro who was beaming from ear to ear.

"I think it is a marvelous idea! I would be honored to have you as a true member of the family. I was meant to have two sons and now I will."

With that, Felipe suddenly smiled with such happiness that he thought he would burst from the joy of it all. _Family_ , he signed. _I will have a family._ Suddenly he was enveloped in two sets of strong arms. Alejandro and Diego embraced him and he thought that this was the most wonderful day of his life. He would be a de la Vega. He would have a family at last.


	4. Words

It was soon after that Diego walked with him to his room to gather his belongings. He would be moving to a suite of rooms in the other side of the house, closer to Diego and Alejandro. It didn't take Felipe long. He had one book in his room that he had taken from the library. Other than that he had practically no possessions. He had four cotton shirts, three pairs of cotton pants, and three sashes that he wrapped around his waist. One of each of these garments was a little bit nicer than the rest and were saved for church on Sundays. He had a pair of sandals and a pair of short boots for the occasional chilly California day. He had a knife with which he liked to making carvings, and he had a rough wooden comb. On top of these things Felipe places a wooden rosary that his mother had given him before they had fled -- before she had died.

All of this was piled on the bed in less than a minute. Diego looked at the items.

"Is that everything?"

Felipe nodded. That was pretty much everything that he owned. He had gotten toys and trinkets, and later books from Diego and Alejandro for Christmas, but the books were in the library and the toys had been given away to the sons of the de la Vega's tenants when Felipe was too old to want to play with them any more. He had also been given a supply of beautiful fine woods last year for carving, but he had used all of that up in making gifts for the de la Vegas, Victoria, and Sergeant Mendoza. He had a chess set, but it was in the cave and was the one that he and Diego always kept a running game going on. Each of them would make a move when they found a moment. When the other would come into the cave and see that a move had been made, he would follow suit.

Diego felt an unfamiliar tightening in his chest. This was everything Felipe had in the world. Diego was not a spoiled man, but he was a rich one, and even an honest and empathetic rich man never truly knows what it is like to be poor. Seeing everything that Felipe owned take up no more space than what could fit into a pillowcase shocked him.

ZZZ

They went to San Pedro for a number of reasons - some of which Felipe was looking forward to, and some of which he was dreading. He was looking forward to the trips to the cattle and horse auctions. He was dreading the trips to the tailor and boot maker.

Up to that point, his life had changed very little. He had moved into a suite of new rooms, but the bed felt the same, albeit made with somewhat softer sheets. He still used the same tiny amount of space that he always had. He did no more than pass through the dressing room and sitting room that were attached to his bedroom. He now ate at the table with the de la Vegas which was a bit of a change. Up to that point he had only eaten with Diego and Alejandro when they were at the tavern or when they ate lunch casually. Other than at Christmas, he never ate at the main dining table at dinner time. Now he ate every night at the beautifully laid table. A table that he no longer laid himself. That did feel strange the first few times, but he had gotten used to it. He no longer dusted or cleaned, but he did continue to help Diego and Alejandro with their small projects around the hacienda.

They went to the tailor first and Felipe stood stock still while he was measured in every conceivable place. A few of the measurements had him glancing over at Diego, but he seemed unflustered by the process, so Felipe tried to take it in stride. After the measurements were done it was apparently time to choose fabrics and styles. After Felipe’s first few choices Diego decided to take charge. “If I left it to you, you would buy every shade of brown available for purchase in this establishment.” Felipe was fine with that -- he didn’t know what he was doing anyway. He listened quietly as Diego ordered an obscene amount of clothing for Felipe. And a few new things for himself, as well. Felipe didn’t contribute anything else until he heard Diego begin to order his shirts. 

_No ruffles._ He signed. 

“But Felipe, they are the fashion!”

_No ruffles. They look great on you, but I don’t think I can pull them off._ Felipe was smiling, but he was serious. Diego seemed to understand.

“Alright, Felipe. No ruffles. We’ll take this one step at a time.”

After the tailor came the boot maker, which Felipe didn’t mind nearly as much. His feet were measured and traced and then he was able to pick out the different leathers from which the boots would be made. With Diego’s help he chose a number of different style. Far more than he thought he needed, but again he was willing to go along with Diego’s wishes. 

When they finally left the boot maker, Diego turned back to Felipe.

“I have to meet my father at the lawyers. Why don’t you go into the general store over there and buy something to celebrate the trip to San Pedro.” He pressed a handful of coins into Felipe’s hand. “Have some fun and why don’t you meet us by the fountain in the plaza in an hour.”

Felipe nodded and smiled as Diego turned. Then he looked at the coins he now held in his hand and the smile fell from his face. He’d never seen that much money up close before. He’d seen, of course, the sacks of money that Zorro had returned to the pueblo on occasion, but he’d certainly never held it in his hands. He clenched the money in his fist and pushed his hand deep into his pocket as he entered the general store.

It was amazing - there was so much to see! Felipe knew that Diego wanted him to buy something for himself, but he couldn’t figure out what to buy. He’d never in all of his life gone into a store to buy something that wasn’t for the hacienda. He was at a loss. Finally he found himself standing in front of a case of knives. Perhaps a new knife for his wood carving? He had sharpened and resharpened his previous knife to a nub over the past few years. Yes, he decided, a knife would be perfect. As he glanced at the knives the storekeeper came over to assist him. Felipe gestured to the case and tried to indicate that he wanted to see the knives. 

The old man who had come over to assist him was kind and tried to understand and help Felipe. It took quite a few minutes, but eventually Felipe was able to choose and pay for a simple but sturdy new knife. He also decided to get a small sharpening stone so that he wouldn’t have to go to the cave, the kitchen, or the barn to sharpen his knife any more. Even those two purchases barely dented the money Diego had given him, but Felipe really didn’t know what else to do with it, and the fact that it rested there, heavy in his pocket, was making him a little nervous.

When Diego and Alejandro met him in the plaza later that afternoon, Felipe tried to give the money back to him. “It’s alright, Felipe. You can keep it.” 

Felipe shook his head. _Can you keep it for me? I don’t know what to do with it._

“Of course. You’ll get used to it.” He smiled and took the coins back from Felipe. Glancing at the coins that remained, which indicated that Felipe had spent only a tiny fraction of the money that he had been give, his brow furrowed. “What did you buy, Felipe?”

From his other pocket, Felipe pulled out the knife and the small sharpening stone. _There is some wood with a beautiful grain that I found the other day in Devil’s Canyon. I want to make something out of it but I don’t know what yet..._

ZZZ

Two short weeks later three large crates arrived from San Pedro and Felipe knew that they were all of his new things. His stomach churned a bit. Things were going to really start to change now.

The crates were brought into Felipe’s rooms and Diego came in to help him unpack everything. The first crate Diego opened was from the general store. He began unpacking some personal grooming items. He brought out a gentleman’s matching set of mirror, comb, brush, and moustache scissors. Felipe touched his bare face and smiled.

“Well, maybe someday you’ll need it.”

Next he pulled out a small kit filled with a few small metal tools. Felipe asked Diego what they were and Diego responded that they were tools to trim his nails. Felipe looked down at his nails, which he maintained using his teeth when necessary. I suppose I’ll have to stop doing that, he thought.

Diego continued unpacking things from the crate and placing them in the appropriate spots in Felipe’s dressing room. The area was filling up rapidly and Felipe still didn’t know what he was going to do with most of the stuff coming out of the crate.

Finally Diego opened the second crate. This crate was filled with Felipe’s new footwear. The boots looked beautiful.

At last came the crate that Felipe was most dreading. Diego pried the lid off and started unpacking all the clothes from the tailor. There was a tall stack of snowy white shirts. More stacks of matching pants and coats, some of them with coordinating vests. There were a number of beautiful sashes. There was another stack of carefully folded undergarments. 

By the time Diego had finished removing all the items from the crate, Felipe’s bed was piled high with all the clothing. He was in a bit of a daze as Diego helped him arrange it all in his new dressers and wardrobes. Finally everything was hidden away and Felipe began to breathe more deeply again.

“Why don’t you put on something new and come out for dinner, Felipe. Father and I will wait for you in the library.” Felipe nodded, and Diego left him alone.

Felipe went to the dresser and wardrobe again and selected a relatively plain white shirt and a jacket and pant suit in a beautiful chocolate brown. He wasn’t quite ready for the bolder colors that Diego had selected for him.

Felipe slowly stripped out of his clothes, folding them carefully into a small pile. They would be given to someone else, he was sure. He would make sure to give them to the de la Vega housekeeper. She was in charge of those sorts of things, and she was the one who had given Felipe those clothes to begin with. 

For a long moment Felipe stood there, as naked as the day he was born. He couldn’t pretend that things weren’t changing now.

He put on the new undergarments. They were made of linen and felt softer than what he was used to, but nothing that felt too terribly different yet. Next he pulled on the fine linen shirt. It reminded him of the time he had worn Zorro’s shirt. Next came the pants, and it was now that Felipe was beginning to really feel the differences. He was used to the practical loose pants that he had worn for the past 17 years. But caballeros didn’t wear practical loose pants, they wore beautifully tailored pants like those that Felipe had on right now. He wrapped a fine sash around his waist, carefully draping the ends down the outside of his leg as he had helped Diego do so many times in the past. Finally, he pulled on the matching jacket and looked down at himself. It certainly was a difference.

He peered at himself in the mirror on the wall. It was still the same face -- the same dark eyes, the same shy smile, the same shaggy hair falling over his forehead. With a start, he remembered something that Diego had helped him unpack. He searched for it on the silver tray on his dressing table. There it was - a small jar of the same sticky substance that Diego used every morning. Imitating what he had seen Diego do on many occasions after removing his Zorro mask, he took a small bit on his finger, rubbed it into the palm of his hands, and raked his hair up away from his face. He’d never seen a caballero with shaggy bangs hanging in his face before.

With this small change, he now barely recognized himself in the mirror. He supposed it was time for him to go out to supper and see what his new family - his new official family - thought of his new appearance. He was apprehensive, of course, of the changes that were coming, but he was also confident that he was making the right choice. He worried about what the villagers would say behind his back, but he knew that Alejandro and Diego wanted him to join the family and he was proud that he would soon be one of them.

Pulling himself straight and tall, he walked from the room. A de la Vega never slouched.

Felipe approached the arched entry to the study and paused. He could hear the low tones of Alejandro and Diego speaking. With a sigh he lifted his chin and quietly entered the room. After a few more moments of conversation, Alejandro noticed Felipe standing there and his sentence trailed off. A smile slowly grew on his face. After another moment, Diego noticed his father had stopped speaking and he turned to face what he was looking at. 

He could hardly recognize this tall young man standing before him. The face was Felipes - the kind brown eyes were unmistakable. But instead of looking up from under tousled shaggy hair, Felipe was standing in front of him, looking at him proudly, his face no longer half hidden. He looked every inch a young caballero. Diego had worried that Felipe would be uncomfortable and self conscious in his new clothes and position, but he was happy to see that he was wrong. He had hoped that Felipe would be proud of becoming a de la Vega, not awkward, and he was thrilled that Felipe was handling his new position with such grace.

With a broad grin, Diego closed the distance between himself and Felipe in only a few long strides. He clasped the boy to him in a warm and encompassing hug. Almost instantly, Felipe felt the additional arms of Alejandro. He thought his heart might burst with joy. Was now the time? The time to show them what he had been working on?

He pulled away and looked into the faces of these two men who had made him a part of their family. He took a deep breath.

“Thank you, Diego. Thank you, Alejandro. We are a family now.”

The words didn’t sound as good as they had the last time he had practiced. He knew that he sounded breathy and strained to himself and imagined he did to them as well. But the pronunciation was good, he felt. He was getting better.

Diego and Alejandro stared at him with their mouths falling open. They said nothing and Felipe was beginning to feel self conscious. Had he done something wrong? Was he fooling himself as to how his voice sounded?

“I sound alright?” He said this with more hesitation - he hadn’t practiced saying that.

Alejandro found his voice first. “Alright, my dear boy, you sound like a gift from heaven.” He reached out again and hugged Felipe so tightly that he could barely breathe. Felipe didn’t mind. Over his shoulder he caught Diego’s eye. He was smiling broadly and Felipe thought perhaps he saw tears in his eyes. “I’m so proud,” Diego mouthed the words and Felipe smiled and nodded back at him over Alejandro’s back.

The two older men wouldn’t rest until Felipe had told them the whole story - and he attempted to do so using his voice rather than his hands. It was difficult, though, and he felt foolish at times, but he kept at it.

With his hands - at least with Diego - he was quick witted and communicated clearly. His voice, however, was rusty, and it took him longer to say words than he thought it should. Words that sprang to his fingertips had to be forced from his throat. His pronunciation was spotty and he frequently forgot the prepositions that he never needed to use before. On top of all that, his body simply wasn’t trained for speaking. He frequently ran out of breath in the middle of his sentences and words. He sometimes instinctively signed while he spoke without even realizing it. And after speaking for so long he was positively exhausted. 

But he told them his story about how he had learned to speak again.

Ever since the day in the barn when he had said Zorro’s name and then not been able to say Diego’s he had thought about if he could relearn how to speak, and when he had been recovering from the injuries to his hands he had pushed himself harder. He had managed a few words but not nearly enough that he wanted to share. He was concerned that he would never get past the three words he had managed, and he had decided that not speaking at all was better than croaking out three little words. 

“What were the words,” Diego had asked.

“Diego, Alejandro, and -” Felipe had paused.

“Zorro?” Diego had added helpfully.

“No, Victoria.” Diego had smiled at that.

But it was when Diego had asked him if he would like to be adopted that Felipe had felt something unlock inside him. He had spent hours in the cave speaking to Toronado, who seemed willing to listen as long as the boy was brushing him and scratching him behind his ears.

“I was not sure if I could do it. I did not want to tell you in case I failed. Toronado can keep a secret.”

By now, Felipe was having some difficulties. His speech was slurring and it was bothering him to sound that way in front of Diego and Alejandro. It was the reason he’d spoken only to the horse for so long.

Diego could tell he was beginning to get frustrated so he stood and walked over to where Felipe sat, resting a hand on his shoulder and squeezing it gently.

“Why don’t you take a break for today, son. I think we’ve worn you out tonight!” Felipe nodded up at Diego.

Yes, thank you. The words come so fast to my mind but I can’t speak them - it is frustrating.

“Well, you don’t have to do it on your own anymore, Felipe. I’m sure I can find a book on the subject of learning verbal speech.”

Felipe smiled. “Thank you, Diego. Father.”

Those words were perfect. He had practiced them more than any others.

Diego wondered if Felipe knew how much those words meant to him - how they touched his heart.


	5. Family

The last few months had been both difficult and wonderful for the three of them. It was wonderful to be a family and Felipe was making massive strides in relearning how to speak. They all assumed that he was relearning it, that is. Felipe couldn’t say that he remembered speaking as a child but the - relative - ease with which he was learning now seemed to indicate that he had once known how, even if he had no memory of it. Diego had indeed found literature about teaching speech, as well as a few volumes on vocal exercises for singers that they found helpful. They worked on strengthening Felipe’s vocal muscles and it was making a tremendous difference.

He still stumbled occasionally and once in a long while would find himself signing instinctively instead of answering a question out loud, but he was beginning to get so comfortable speaking that it was hard for him to stay silent.

This was what was leading to the difficult aspects of their current arrangement.

None of the servants knew that Felipe was speaking, so much time was spent with Diego and Alejandro in the cave and out of doors. But the real difficulty came for Felipe in town.

As the de la Vega’s servant he had been spoken of infrequently. Felipe often overheard the comments, but he blended into the background and was ignored for the most part. 

Now, however, he was spoken of often. Sometimes with pity, often with condescension, occasionally with jealousy or petty anger. All these things bothered Felipe, and the problem was that he was now subjected to the almost constantly. The newly adopted son of the de la Vegas was a matter of some interest and everyone seemed to have something to say about it behind their backs.

He and Diego had considered what to do about this. Zorry was needed less frequently - the Alcalde has seemed to turn over a new leaf after his brush with death, and actually appeared to be doing an acceptable job for once - and now that Alejandro knew, Felipe didn’t have to constantly cover for Diego. And it was a good thing, because in his new position he was now practically useless as Zorro’s eyes and ears. He no longer faded into the background. Indeed, he was now usually the most noticed person in town.

All three of them knew things had to change, but no one knew exactly what to do - how to approach a town that had known Felipe for so many years and have it come out that he could both hear and speak.

Diego had started to have an idea, but he searched for another answer. Not able to find one, he finally realize what they had to do.

He broached the idea over supper with Felipe and Alejandro.

“I think I know what we need to do, Felipe. To get ourselves out of this hole that we’ve dug for ourselves. Well, that Zorro has dug for us.”

He had the attention of the table.

“I think you should go away to University.” Felipe sharply inhaled but did not speak.

“I think it’s the only solution. If you go to Spain you’ll be able to act as yourself. No one will know that you used to be deaf and mute - or that you used to be an orphan, unless you choose to tell them. You can speak and act as you wish without your history weighing you down.”

They were still silent, thinking, so Diego continued.

“In three or four years you’ll come back and we’ll say that you regained your hearing while abroad and were able to learn how to speak again. It has the added benefit that by that time, half the pueblo will have forgotten that you were adopted. People have short memories around here.”

Still silence, but Diego could see his father nodding slightly.

Felipe sat there, staring at his plate. Diego expected a disagreement. He was surprised when he didn’t get one.

“I think you’re right, Father. As much as I do not wish to leave my home, I see no other way.” He looked up, meeting first Alejandro and then Diego’s eyes. “The people here do not see me as a de la Vega - they see me as a deaf mute servant wearing a fancy suit.” He sighed. “And I am tired of keeping so many secrets. If I go away and come back perhaps I can start fresh.”

He looked again to Diego. “As you did when you returned from University.”

Diego smiled and laughed. “I hope your return will be less exciting than mine was.” he turned to Alejandro. “Father, do you agree?”

“I do, son. As much as I don’t want to see Felipe leave us - especially so soon after we have finally become such a wonderful family, I agree that it’s for the best. It is not fair of us to go on like Felipe hasn’t changed. Time apart now will improve our lives in the future.”

He placed his napkin on the table and stood up. “So it is decided. Felipe will go to University in Spain, and when he returns he will be a young man prepared to manage the de la Vega estates with you, Diego.”

ZZZ

Felipe couldn’t understand how three years could pass so quickly, yet the weeks it took to travel home to California could seem to take an eternity. 

Diego had taught him well at the hacienda - all the background he already had was going to allow him to finish the curriculum a year sooner than was customary - but he was increasingly anxious to get home to see his family. He knew that they had made the right decision, but that didn’t make it an easy one. To have had a real family for only a few months before heading so far away was difficult.

He was also nervous about what exactly to expect at home when he arrived. Things had changed. He had changed. If nothing else, he now spoke with the ease of someone who had spoken all his life. He no longer stumbled over words or got out of breath, nor did he have to resort to signing when his thoughts got out in front of his mouth.

Diego had written to him often. He had told him that he informed Mendoza - and only Mendoza - about the happy news that Felipe had been to a Spanish doctor who had restored his hearing. And he had also told him that after sharing that private news with Mendoza it had been common knowledge in the pueblo after mere hours. A few months after that, Diego had mentioned that Felipe was learning to speak again and that news had spread like brush fire, as well. Diego believe that with more than two years for it to become old news, no one would be surprised when Felipe arrived home a well spoken and eloquent young man. 

For his part, Felipe had grown more accustomed to his new place in the world. Away from the people who knew his as a servant he had learned to not blush shyly when he was called Don Felipe. When people deferred to his opinion. When people treated him with respect.

It had been a difficult transition, but dealing with it away at University had been, in hindsight, the best way to handle it. There was no preconceived notion of who Felipe was - he just came across as a somewhat shy, slightly soft spoken young man who was dedicated to his studies. As he gradually became more comfortable with his speech in public and with his role as the equal to all these other young men just seemed like the natural act of a young man growing up and coming out of his shell. Felipe had legitimately been one of the best students in most of his classes so it was natural for other to seek him out. 

He also turned out to be the best at the sword which lead to a group of dedicated friends welcoming him into their fold. Their sword master wasn’t thought to be at the level of Sir Edmund Kendall, but he was still excellent, and Felipe joined a group of a half dozen other students who spent a great deal of extra time outside of class practicing.

There were struggles, of course, and awkwardness, but the majority of the young men at the University were a good and reasonable sort, and Felipe’s kind nature and general friendliness seemed to win over the most of them.

But even with the friendships and camaraderie that Felipe had developed - and, indeed, had enjoyed a great deal - he was anxious to get back home to his family. He was happy when he learned that he would be able to complete his studies a year early, and Diego seemed thrilled as well when Felipe wrote to him to tell him of the news.

And Felipe was anxious to return to the pueblo. Much had changed, some of which Diego discussed in his letters and some of which he merely alluded to. The Alcalde had remained for another year - a year of relative peace and quiet. His change in character had remained and Zorro’s exploits had been confined to outside forces - bandits and cattle rustlers and the like. After a year and a half, de Soto had been called back to Madrid - as he had always wished - if not as a hero, at least as someone who kept peace in the pueblo for the last eighteen months.

What followed had been nothing short of miraculous. With the assistance, support, and influence of all the caballeros, Alejandro had been elected to the post of Alcalde. At that point, Zorro had publicly retired - and in a twist that Felipe found amusing - solved the problem of what to do with Toronado by having Zorro gift the horse to the new Alcalde. 

He then privately revealed his identity to Victoria. Felipe got only pieces of the story in his letter from Diego, as everyone still felt that it was unwise to write down publically the true identity of el Zorro, retired or not. He was able to gather that Victoria was not terribly pleased for a while but eventually came around, forgave Diego for his subterfuge, and agreed to marry him.

And it was the wedding, scheduled for mere weeks after Felipe’s planned return, that Felipe was most looking forward to. Diego hadn’t spoken much of it, claiming that he was terrified to get in Victoria’s way in that regard, but between the lines written on the paper in Diego’s fine penmanship, Felipe could read the joy in his heart. 

And it was that joy that he was so anxious to see. So anxious, indeed, that he couldn’t bear to travel in the slow coach that carried his trunks. The last leg of his journey he decided to buy a horse and ride ahead. His excitement grew and grew the closer he got to the pueblo. He was hours ahead of the coach, which was not only slower, but was making a number of stops along the way. With this in mind, Felipe turned his horse off the main road and travelled toward the hacienda at a furious pace. His horse was still fresh - it was a good horse and Felipe had become a skilled rider.

In mere minutes that felt like hours, Felipe reached the front doors of the hacienda. There was no one about - could they have all gone into town already? Felipe quickly put his horse in a stall in the stables and threw the saddle over a fence rail. A moment later he approached the front doors with his stomach dancing in anticipation. He smoothed back his hair and tried to brush some of the dust off his clothes, smoothing down his shirt front. He eased the doors open and stood there quietly, listening for sounds of anyone in the house. He was not disappointed.

“Diego, I really must insist that we get going. Felipe will be here soon and I’ll not have us late. Supper will be perfect, his room will be perfect, and his homecoming will be perfect. If only we don’t miss him entirely!”

Alejandro’s voice was kind but insistent. He understood his son’s excitement but was gently trying to hurry him along. The coach had probably never been early in all its days, but if today was to be the first time for it, he wouldn’t be absent!

“You’re right, Father. I just can’t seem to believe that today is the day that we’ll all be back together again. And with Victoria at supper it will be a whole family again.”

“Understood, but if the coach is early I don’t want to miss him.”

Felipe could hear that they were in the library - mere steps away from the hall where he stood. He had a moment of panic. He had changed a great deal, he knew. Would everything still be as it once was? With no need for Zorro would he still be valued - still be loved? He believed that it would be so.

He stepped forward to stand in the doorway of the library. Both men were facing away from him. Felipe spoke.

“You’ll not be late, father. I’m just early.”

At the sound of his voice, Alejandro and Diego spun toward him and froze.

Diego could hardly believe his eyes - or ears. Was this really Felipe who stood before them? He looked different. He was slightly taller, somewhat more filled out - he was a man now, not a boy. His hair was shorter and raked back from his face. He was still clean shaven, but the set of his jaw was different. Confident. Assured. He stood there proudly, confident in his own skin and in the well tailored clothes of a cabellero that he now wore. This was Don Felipe and he looked every inch of it.

But it was his voice that amazed Diego. When he had left he was speaking easily, but his voice came from an untrained throat. He had developed the voice he was meant to have and it seemed perfect. It was low and smooth and was music to his ears. This was who Felipe was intended to be.

Alejandro moved first and he and Felipe closed the distance between them as the met in a warm embrace. Diego watched as his father and Felipe - his son - held each other tightly. The scene was almost too much for him to bear, and Felipe could see it in his eyes. He smiled at Deigo over Alejandro’s shoulder.

“I’m home, father.”

Diego smiled back and strode over to join his family’s embrace. “Yes you are, Felipe, and you look wonderful.”

They broke apart.

“And you sound wonderful, my son. You seem to have really found your voice.”

“Yes father, I have.” And for old time’s sake, he signed - thank you.

Diego would later swear that at that moment he got some dust in his eye.

“Well, lets take you into town and show you off a bit, shall we?”

Felipe blushed.

“Victoria has been dying to see you.” Diego lowered his voice. “She knows everything - including that you could hear long before you left town and the role you played to help Zorro. I believe that she very much wants to thank you.”

“No more than I want to thank her, Diego.” Felipe nodded. “For making you so happy and forgiving you for your deception.” He smiled wryly. “I was always a little worried that she would not take kindly to that little trick you played on her.”

“Believe me, she didn’t. But now all is forgotten and our future will be full of happiness.” Diego couldn’t help but lay an arm along Felipe’s shoulders as they walked toward the front door. “Starting with when you stand by my side as my best man at our wedding.”

Felipe positively beamed. “It would be my honor and my pleasure.”


End file.
